Such an epilation apparatus is disclosed in FR-PS 2,307,491. In this known epilation apparatus, the skin protection device is formed by a hair screen which has hair-entry slots which have the shape of elongate holes, lie opposite the epilation rollers and, lying adjacent to one another, are arranged extending obliquely to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers. It has been found that although such a hair screen is effective in keeping the skin away from the epilation rollers, it presents a relatively severe hindrance to the access of the hairs to the epilation rollers, the hair removal process thereby being made more difficult or hindered and thus also requiring a relatively long time.
An object of the invention is avoiding the difficulties set out above and designing an epilation apparatus of the type referred to above in such a way that good skin protection is achieved by the skin protection device, on the one hand, and good access of the hairs to the epilation rollers through the skin protection device is simultaneously achieved on the other hand. For this purpose, the invention is characterized in that a skin protection device comprising a strip-shaped web of wave-shaped design in relation to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers, having wave troughs and wave crests alternately on both sides and being comb-like on both sides is employed in association with the epilation rollers. By virtue of the design of the skin protection device as a wave-shaped, strip-shaped web which is like a comb on both sides and, in accordance with its wave shape, partially covers the epilation rollers, it is guaranteed, due to the tensioning of the skin effected during the passing of the skin protection device over the skin, said procedure being effected transversely to the longitudinal extension of the web in both directions, that the skin cannot reach the epilation rollers through the free areas between the wave-shaped portions of the web. At the same time it is these free areas, however, which permit good access of the hairs to the epilation rollers, this being additionally facilitated by the fact that, due to the wave-shaped design of the web on both sides, a comb effect is obtained in both abovementioned directions of movement, the hair consequently being raised and thus guided particularly effectively to the epilation rollers. In this way, a satisfactory skin protection effect is thus obtained on the one hand, trapping of the skin between the epilation rollers thereby being prevented, and good access of the hairs to the epilation rollers is made possible on the other hand, with the result that the hair removal process, viewed overall, is gentle on the skin, faultless, rapid and safe. As a result also, a low energy consumption for the epilation apparatus is sufficient, this being particularly important when such an epilation apparatus is a battery-operated device.
As seen in a direction transverse to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers, the wave-shape of the web can have an overall dimension which is, for example, larger than the sum of the diameters of the epilation rollers covered by the web, but this can be unfavourable as regards the mechanical stability of the web. The abovementioned overall dimension could likewise be chosen to be smaller than the sum of the diameters of the epilation rollers covered by the web, but again this can be unfavourable for the skin protection effect. It has therefore proven advantageous if, as seen transversely to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers, the wave-shaped web has an overall dimension which essentially corresponds to the sum of the diameters of the epilation rollers covered by the web. A good compromise as regards a satisfactory skin protection effect on the one hand and a good mechanical stability of the web on the other hand is thereby achieved.
As regards the shaping of the wave-shaped web per se, there are various possibilities. Thus, such a web can, for example, be of essentially sinusoidal, zigzag-shaped or even sawtooth-shaped design. Preferably the wave-shaped web is additionally designed to be wave-shaped in itself. Such a design of the web has a favourable influence on the feeding of the hairs to the epilation rollers since the double wave-shaped web design results in the formation of portions of the web which particularly promote erection of the hairs in the direction of movement of the epilation apparatus over the skin, said direction being transverse to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers.
In this context, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, each individual wave-shaped portion of the web is designed to exhibit mirror symmetry relative to a plane of symmetry extending perpendicularly to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers. Compared to an embodiment, likewise possible per se, in which the wave-shaped portions of the web each individually extend obliquely relative to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers, this is advantageous as regards as simple as possible a design of the web and as good access as possible of the hairs to the epilation rollers in both directions of movement of the epilation apparatus over the skin, said movement being transverse to the longitudinal extension of the web and of the epilation rollers.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the wave-shaped web is provided, in the region of the cooperation of a pair of epilation rollers with a bead protruding towards the epilation rollers. The hairs raised from the skin by the web are thereby guided particularly close to the region of the cooperation of a pair of epilation rollers in the region of the bead, with the result that the hairs are particularly reliably grasped by the epilation rollers and pulled out of the skin.
The wave-shaped web can, for example, be secured directly by its two ends on the housing of the epilation apparatus. The wave-shaped web could equally well be designed to be of one piece with the housing of the epilation apparatus. It has, however, proven advantageous if two strips, which extend transversely to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers, to which strips one end of the web is in each case connected and which have angled ends with which they engage round the housing of the epilation apparatus, are provided for holding the wave-shaped web on the housing of the epilation apparatus. In this way, a clip-like constructional unit is created for the web, which unit can be connected simply and securely to the housing of the epilation apparatus, it also being possible for such a connection to be designed to be releasable. As a result of this, too, the choice of material for the web can be arbitrary in relation to the material chosen for the housing of the epilation apparatus, for example such that the web and the strips connected to it are produced from sheet steel and are thus particularly stable.
It is also preferred that the angled ends of the strips, said ends lying one behind the other as seen in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers, be in each case connected to one another by an additional strip extending in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers. In this way a frame-like support for the web is obtained for the purpose of holding the web on the housing of the epilation apparatus, said support permitting particularly simple and secure and hence stable holding of the web, it also being possible, for example, to design this holding in the form of a releasable snap-in connection. Since the additional strips here extend only in the lateral region of the housing of the epilation apparatus, they do not impair the access of the hairs to the epilation rollers.
It is also preferred in this context that at least one wave-shaped portion of the web is connected to the additional strip adjoining this portion via a holding web extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers. Additional holding for the web is thereby achieved, this having proven advantageous as regards its mechanical stability.
However, it has also proven advantageous if, for the purpose of holding the wave-shaped web on the housing of the epilation apparatus, two strips extending transversely to the longitudinal extension of the epilation rollers are provided, to which in each case one end of the web is connected and which, on the side facing away from the web, have at least one portion angled sideways with which they engage round the housing of the epilation apparatus. Simple and secure holding of the web on the housing of the epilation apparatus is likewise obtained by this arrangement, it also being possible for this holding to be designed to be releasable.